Read More

Highways officers were called to the scene to deal with a resulting fuel spillage and debris strewn across the road.

The carriage was closed between junctions 24 and 25 for Ainley Top and Brighouse, as vehicles were diverted off causing local roads to become gridlocked.

One motorist said it took her 50 minutes to get along Lindley Moor Road, while Derek Cogdon on Twitter said it took him “30 minutes to do 400 yards” on the motorway.

Standstill traffic on M62 eastbound (Image: Highways England)

Many usually-busy roads, including Bradford Road, Brighouse Road and around Cooper Bridge, were jam-packed with traffic almost at a standstill throughout the rush hour as drivers queued to get back onto the motorway.

The motorway re-opened at around 9am, although delays continued for at least an hour more as queues were as far back as junction 21 for Milnrow near Rochdale.

Christopher Goldie, who was sat in the queue, tweeted a picture of a skeleton sat in a car as he jokingly wrote: “Tell my wife and son I love them.”

Traffic on the motorway and surrounding roads eased two hours later, at around 11am.